Related topics: mating , females
Male
hideMale (♂) refers to the sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization. A male cannot reproduce sexually without access to at least one ovum from a female, but some organisms can reproduce both sexually and asexually.
Not all species share a common sex-determination system. In humans and most animals, sex is determined genetically but in other species it can be determined due to social, environmental, or other factors. The existence of two sexes seems to have been selected independently across different evolutionary lineages (see Convergent Evolution). Accordingly, sex is defined operationally across species by the type of gametes produced (ie: spermatozoa vs. ova) and differences between males and females in one lineage are not always predictive of differences in another.
Male/Female dimorphism between organisms or reproductive organs of different sexes is not limited to animals; male gametes are produced by chytrids, diatoms and land plants, among others. In land plants, female and male designate not only the female and male gamete-producing organisms and structures but also the structures of the sporophytes that give rise to male and female plants.
For more information about Male, read the full article at
Wikipedia.
This text uses material from Wikipedia and is available under the GNU Free Documentation License.
News tagged with males
Mom was right: Why nice guys usually get the girls
Nov 05, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Female water striders often reject their most persistent and aggressive suitors and prefer the males who aren't so grabby, according to new research. Water striders are insects commonly seen ...
Neurobiologist proposes 'The end of sex as we once knew it'
Feb 02, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Women are not from Venus any more than men are from Mars. But even though both sexes are perfectly terrestrial beings, they are not lacking in other differences. And not only in their reproductive organs ...
Researchers describe for first time how some bacteria kill males: They first invade the mother
Biology /
Sep 24, 2008 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Many groups of bacteria are known as "male killers" -- they target and kill just the males of a host species. Now, a Cornell scientist has helped describe for the first time just how certain ...
Studies suggest males have more personality
Nov 18, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- Males have more pronounced personalities than females across a range of species - from humans to house sparrows - according to new research. Consistent personality traits, such as aggression ...
Pregnant mice block out unwelcome admirers to protect their pups
Biology /
Jul 20, 2008 |
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Mouse mothers-to-be have a remarkable way to protect their unborn pups. Because the smell of a strange male's urine can cause miscarriage and reactivate the ovulatory cycle, pregnant mice prevent the action of such olfactory ...
The sophisticated sex lives of sea squirts
Biology /
Aug 26, 2008 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- It may not be pretty, but the humble sea squirt could well be the envy of many: the marine organism never has to worry about contraceptives or IVF.
Sexual practice of polygyny skews genetic variability
Biology /
Sep 26, 2008 |
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Researchers have found DNA evidence that polygyny, the practice among males of siring children with multiple female partners at the same time or successively, has led to an excess of genetic diversity on the X chromosome ...
Lightweight and long-legged males go the distance for sex
Biology /
Sep 05, 2008 |
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Finding a mate can take considerable legwork as recently illustrated by the flightless and nocturnal Cook Strait giant weta Deinacrida rugosa. This cricket relative is found in New Zealand and is one of the ...
Television viewing and aggression: Some alternative perspectives
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Oct 01, 2008 |
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The effect of media violence on behavior is not only an interesting psychological question but is also a relevant public policy and public health issue. Although many studies have been conducted examining the link between ...
Study shows males are more tolerant of same-sex peers
Medicine & Health / Psychology & Psychiatry
Feb 11, 2009 |
4.8 / 5 (4) |
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Women have traditionally been viewed as being more social and cooperative than men. However, there is recent evidence that this may not be the case. In fact, studies have shown that men maintain larger social networks with ...
Should females trust showy males?
Aug 21, 2009 |
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(PhysOrg.com) -- How honest are males when using sexual displays to signal their eligibility to females?
Crafty Australian crayfish cheat
Feb 27, 2009 |
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Nestled just off the east coast of Australia, picturesque North Stradbroke Island is a haven for local wildlife. Yet some of the inhabitants of the island's creeks and swamps are far from peaceful. Slender crayfish are aggressive ...
Honest lovers? Fallow buck groans reveal their status and size during the rut
Biology /
Sep 03, 2008 |
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It is known that the phonic structure of calls produced by males during the breeding season may signal quality-related characteristics in many different types of animals. Previous research on mammals has mainly focussed on ...
Spider love: Little guys get lots more
Biology /
Dec 08, 2008 |
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Big males outperform smaller ones in head-to-head mating contests but diminutive males make ten times better lovers because they're quicker to mature and faster on their feet, a new study of redback spiders reveals.
Good males are bad fathers
Jun 25, 2009 |
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Contrary to predictions, males of high genetic quality are not very successful when it comes to fertilizing eggs. A new study on seed beetles by Swedish and Danish scientists Göran Arnqvist and Trine Bilde shows that when ...
